Curtis n



(No Model.)

C. N. WILCOX. TOY.

No. 442,675. Patented Deo. 16,' 1890.

@XMIM/momo NITED STATES ATnNr vinnen..

CURTIS N. VILCOX, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,675, dated December 16, 1890.

Application filed August l0, 1889. Serial'No. 320,360. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CURTIS N. VILCOX, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Toys, of which 'the following is a'specitication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in games or toys, and it has for its object the production ot novel devices by which the game may be played.

The invention consists in the peculiar com` bination sand the novel construction, arran gement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the Y drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my improvement and its mode of use. Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating two different methods of connecting the balls. Fig. 3 is a like view showing solid balls with a different means of connecting them.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates a suitable handle from one end of which project the two arms A A2 of any suitable material, preferably wire, the portions adjacent to the handle being in close proximity to each other and diverging slightly a short distance as to the point a, from which they diverge at a greater angle, leaving a substantially V-shaped opening, the outer ends of the wire being turned over so as to give a rounded outer surface for the balls -or their ligament to contact with the ends, being bent over to form eyes b. The ends of the wire are not brought in contact with the main portions of the arms'A and A2, but terminate at a distance therefrom to leave spaces c between the ends of the wires and the arms for a purpose hereinafter described. This constitutes one part of the device, and is designed to be held in the hand for the purpose of throwing and catching the balls, now to be described. In Fig. l it is shown as in the hand of a player with the balls held between thearms A and A2 in the position they will occupy when about to be thrown towardthe opposing player, or just having been caught after being thrown by the opposing player. These balls, which I have designated by the reference-letters B and B', are composed, preferably, of rubber, hollow, as shown in Fig. 2,and connected by a flexible ligament or connection. This connection may be a cord, as shown in Fig. l, a tube, as shown at B2 in Fig. 2, at the right hand thereof, or it may be an integral ligament blown in one piece together with the balls, as shown at B3 at the left hand of Fig. 2. lVhen the rubber tube is employed as the connection between the two balls, the connection between the balls and tubeis preferably made as shown in Fig. 2, wherein C is a short plug having enlarged substantially arrow-shaped head C', between which and the body of the plug is a circumferential groove C2. In connecting the tube with the ball the body of the plug is forced into one end of the tube and the head passed through an opening in the ball, the elasticity of the ball readily permitting the passage of the head by closing around and fitting in the groove after the head has passed through the rubber, thus holding it in place, as shown in Fig. 2.

I may sometimes employ wooden balls, as shown in Fig. 3, which may be connected in any suitable manner, preferably, however, as illustrated in said figure, wherein D is a cord or strap of flexiblematerial, such as leather or rubber, which is passed through an opening in the center of one of the balls D', and formed with a knot, as shown at D3, the other end being placed in a substantially V-shaped notch in the other ball and held therein by means of a key or wedge D2. This, as well as the tube-and-plug connection above described, provides for ready removal of either of the balls in case of injury thereto and for the purpose of replacing it with a new one.

In practice one player takes the handle in one hand, as illustrated in Fig. l, with the ligament of the balls held between the arms A and A2. He then throws the balls, by a movement of the hand readily understood,

IOO

toward the opposing player, whose office it is to catch the saine between the arms of his handle and return it to the first player. This may be repeated as often as desired, certain rules being provided for governing the game. To render the game more diflicult, the handle may be held with the arms downward and the ligament of the balls caught in the eyes b, at the ends of the arms, the spaces c being sufficiently large to admit the ligament. The balls, however, should always be thrown from between the arms, as shown inFig. 1.

Although balls are preferred, rings of sulii'- cient weight may be substituted therefor.

I am aware of the chain-shot, and I am also aware that it has been the common amusement with children to tie twohorse-chestnuts together or connect them by means of a string and to twirl the same by grasping the same near its center and suddenly letting go of the string, whereby the chestnuts and their connection are thrown'. I make no claim to such device. From the character of the connection it would not serve the purpose for which my connected balls are designed. The character of the connection is such that the sam-e will twist and sn'arl, which it is the very object of my invention to avoid. rThe flexible connection between the balls is sufficiently stiff to prevent twisting orsnarlin g, but serres,

rather, to keep the balls apart so they cannot become twisted.

1. In a game apparatus, two flexiblel balls connected bya flexible ligament, as set forth.

2. In a game apparatus, two hollow balls connected by a flexible ligament, as set forth.

3. In a game apparatus, two hollow rubber balls connected by a flexible ligament, as setforth.

4. In a game apparatus, two rubber balls connected by a ligament integral therewith, as set forth.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination, with a handle provided with diverging arms, of two balls connected by a flexible ligament, as set forth.

V(S. In a game apparatus, the combination, with a handle provided with diverging arms having eyes l), with spaces c, of two flexible balls connected by a exible ligament, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a game apparatus, two balls connected by an elastic ligament, substantially as described.

8. In a game apparatus, two hollow rubber balls connected by au integral rubber ligament, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CURTIS N. WILCOX.

W'itnesses:

A. G. WARNER, J. E. FOLK. 

